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Re: at base

Does anyone know what 'at base' mean in the following (I did not find 'at base' in any of my dictionaries)?:

'It is erroneous to suggest that, at base, the concept of present is wholly derived from external sensorimotor experience.'

Thank you very much.

Palinkasocsi

Dear Palinkasocsi:

Unless 'at base' is being used in a special way common to those who study this subject, it means 'at its roots'; 'basically'; 'fundamentally.'
A question: in the original, does it say, 'the concept of present' or 'the concept of the present' ?

Re: at base

In this context 'present' means 'the here and now', the way we perceive or conceptualize the world momentarily.

Hm. It is still a bit odd to understand 'at base' as meaning 'fundamentally' in this context. I was thinking the same, that's why I asked.

No technical sense of 'at base' is intended by the author, I'm sure.

Look:

To assume this, we have to assume that perceptual processes at the cognitive levelplay no part in the development of concepts, but only external sensorimotor information.As I have been arguing throughout this book, I believe this assumption to be false. Whilethe elaborated concept of the present is structured in terms of such content, it is erroneousto suggest that, at base, the concept of present is wholly derived from external sensorimotor

Re: at base

In this context 'present' means 'the here and now', the way we perceive or conceptualize the world momentarily.

Hm. It is still a bit odd to understand 'at base' as meaning 'fundamentally' in this context. I was thinking the same, that's why I asked.

No technical sense of 'at base' is intended by the author, I'm sure.

Look:

To assume this, we have to assume that perceptual processes at the cognitive levelplay no part in the development of concepts, but only external sensorimotor information.As I have been arguing throughout this book, I believe this assumption to be false. Whilethe elaborated concept of the present is structured in terms of such content, it is erroneousto suggest that, at base, the concept of present is wholly derived from external sensorimotor

experience.

Thank you very much for your help.

Palinkasocsi

Dear Palinkasocsi:

'Fundamentally' is probably the least appropriate of the words I suggested. In the excerpt you posted, the author gives a clue to what s/he means by contrasting the 'elaborated concept' with the concept 'at base.' I think this means 'the concept at its most basic, the 'unelaborated concept,' the 'raw concept,' if you will.
I still find it interesting that the author says 'the elaborated concept of the present,' but '...at base, the concept of ( ) present.'